G-Rod in hot water over remarks

May 18, 2005|By From news services.

IN SPRINGFIELD — As Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan opened yet another investigation into Gov. Blagojevich's administration, the governor's inspector general charged with probing allegations of governmental wrongdoing said Tuesday she was resigning.

Zaldwaynaka "Z" Scott, the former federal prosecutor tapped to launch the governor's independent inspector general office two years ago, said her decision to leave had nothing to do with a series of allegations regarding mismanagement and cronyism facing the governor's administration.

The move by Madigan to open a review of the state lottery and Scott's decision to step down came as lawmakers said they were put off by comments Blagojevich made a day earlier. The governor blamed the investigations and a drop in his popularity on fallout from his attempt to stop his father-in-law, Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), from capitalizing on family connections to make money.

But the governor declared that, unlike his predecessors in office, he had the "testicular virility" to stand up to relatives, friends and cronies trying to profit off him.

"It should never come down to the language of testicular virility," said Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest). "It's like male-only language that sends a message about domination of women. Women don't talk about estrogen virility."